The San Diego Music Thing is moving, in part, from North Park to Mission Valley and will mark its debut at its new location with featured speakers Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth and Mike Herrera of MxPx. Bands confirmed to perform thus far at the Sept. 13 and 14 event include Ra Ra Riot, Titus Andronicus, The Album Leaf, Girl in a Coma, Body/Head, Weekend, The Big Pink, Bleeding Rainbow, Orgone, Wardell, Soft White Sixties, In The Valley Below, The Features, Sad Robot, Leftover Cuties and Disappears.

This year's edition will be held at the Sheraton Mission Valley San Diego Hotel. Kim Gordon and Mike Herrera have been announced as the first speakers for the two-day event, which last year featured more than a dozen daytime panel discussions and three keynote speeches, followed by evening performances by more than 100 bands and solo artists at more than a dozen venues in North Park, Hillcrest and beyond.

The performances will remain centered in those neighborhoods.No official reason has been given for relocating SDMT's daytime activities from North Park to Mission Valley, which in the early 1990s hosted the similarly designed annual Independent Music Seminar.

However, a statement on the SDMT website, suggests a desire for growth may have been one factor: "This move will allow us to provide you with a larger variety of daytime workshops, interactive sessions, networking opportunities and other great activities... The day schedule includes featured speakers presentations, panels, mentoring and interactive sessions as well as the Instrument Petting Zoo where attendees can play with various manufacturers’ gear. Super badge holders will also have access to daytime pop up live performances and artist sessions with Lol Tolhurst (The Cure), Scott Page (Pink Floyd) and other artists to be announced, as well as marquee nighttime showcases."

This year's SDMT is also adding several new evening music venues to its menu. They include Birch North Park Theatre, Seven Grand, The Griffin and The Irenic.

SDMT is presented under the auspices of the nonprofit San Diego Music Foundation, which also produces the annual San Diego Music Awards show. Proceeds from both SDMT and the San Diego Music Awards benefit the Guitars for Schools Program, which over the past 14 years has given more than 1,600 Baby Taylor acoustic guitars to students at more than 60 elementary and middle schools across the county.